GB2227937A

GB2227937A - Flushable ostomy or faecal incontinence bags

Info

Publication number: GB2227937A
Application number: GB8902559A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Andrew Plass; Graham Emery Steer
Original assignee: ER Squibb and Sons LLC
Current assignee: ER Squibb and Sons LLC
Priority date: 1989-02-06
Filing date: 1989-02-06
Publication date: 1990-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 2009-02-06
Also published as: GB8902559D0; GB2227937B

Abstract

In using e.g. an ostomy pouch which has its walls made of a linearly oriented film, the orientation being horizontally located as seen with a pouch in a normal position of wear, the pouch may be flushed down the WC after tearing off an upper portion along the line of film orientation. This reduces or destroys the buoyancy of the pouch and so aids satisfactory flushing of the pouch.

Description

FLUSHABLE OSTOMY BAG This invention relates to a flushable ostomy bag.

Suggestions for flushable containers some of which are ostomy bags have been made in US Patents Nos 3 790 067, 3 762 454, 4 089 493, European Patent 10171, and British Patent 2 083 762.

Flushable ostomy bags currently available fall into two categories: firstly a bag that is intended to go down a w.c. with a single flush, but on arrival at the sewage works remains as an ostomy bag and is dumped or burnt, but, if dumped, remains not degraded for a period of many years; secondly a bag that will go down a w.c. upon flushing of the w.c. by virtue of the fact that it is disintegrated by the turbulence of the water in the flushing, the remnants of the walls of these bags normally being bio-degradable. The latter kind of bag is preferred for that reason.

With both kinds of bag, it is an essential that entrapped air does not give the discarded bag sufficient buoyancy to prevent it being flushed away by a normal w.c. flush. It has been found that the entrapped air is a major preventor of success in flushing away used (full) ostomy pouches. It is an aim of the present invention to overcome or greatly mitigate this problem.

According to the present invention, an ostomy bag has its walls made of a linearly oriented film, that is, a film which can be readily manually torn along a line of the orientation, but cannot be manually torn along any line transverse to the orientation. The bag walls may be of a film of a single material or may be made of a composite laminate. The orientation of the tear line is such that it is substantially horizontal in a bag worn in a normal position on a person standing up.

With such a bag, when the wearer wishes to discard it down a w.c., the wearer simply grasps its upper region and tears off the top portion. To assist this, a notch or starter nick may be provided in the pouch edge at one or both ends of the line to enable a wearer to readily start the tear. The notch is preferably located a third or less of the distance down the vertical height of the bag (when worn) from the top of the bag.

It is preferred that the pouch wall be made of a plastics laminated film, whose components may be: Example 1 Layer 1 ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer film Layer 2 adhesive Layer 3 ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer film Layer 4 adhesive Layer 5 as Layer 1.

Example 2 As Example 1 except that Layer 3 is film of polyvinylidene chloride or a co-polymer or terpolymer thereof.

Example 3 As Example 1 or 2 except that Layers 1 and 5 are of any plastics film conventionally employed as, or as part of, the walls of ostomy pouches.

Example 4 As Example 1, 2 or 3 additionally including a layer of paper as a comfort backing on the rear wall of the bag.

Such laminates may be made by a known technique referred to as "cast extrusion".

In order to improve w.c. flushability of a bag made in accordance with any of the Examples above, it may be desirable to include some relatively high-density material as a filler incorporated in the plastics material of the film. For example, zinc stearate could be included. As another alternative, a length of heavy wire or metal strip could be included in a bag in manufacture.

It will be seen that an ostomy pouch manufactured in this way can be readily disposed of. In addition, contrary to prior proposals, w.c.-flushable ostomy pouches according to the preferred embodiment of the invention can be manufactured rapidly and inexpensively and do not require additional manufacturing steps.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An ostomy or faecal incontinence bag having walls made of a linearly oriented film, that is, a film which can be readily manually torn along a line of the orientation, but cannot be manually torn along any line transverse to the orientation.

2. A bag according to claim 1 in which the walls are of a film of a single plastics material.

3. A bag according to claim 1 in which the walls are made of a composite plastics laminate.

4. A bag according to claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the orientation of the tear line is such that it is substantially horizontal in a bag worn in a normal position on a person standing up.

5. A bag according to any preceding claim in which a notch or starter nick is provided in the bag edge at one or both ends of the line to enable a wearer to readily start the tear.

6. A bag according to claim 5 in which the notch is preferably located a third or less of the distance down the vertical height of the bag (when worn) from the top of the bag.

7. A bag according to claim 3 in which the bag walls are made of a plastics laminated film, whose components are: Layer 1 ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer film Layer 2 adhesive Layer 3 ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer film Layer 4 adhesive Layer 5 as Layer 1.

8. A bag substantially as described herein.

9. Any novel combination or sub-combination disclosed and/or exemplified herein.